Our Speaker on August 3rd, was Barbara McChesney
Plastic Soup: We Can Do Better Than This
Windsor Sunrise Rotarian, Barbara McChesney commanded a standing room only breakout session at our Rotary International Convention earlier this summer in Melbourne. She graciously presented to Santa Rosa Sunrise Rotary members (many of whom were not at the convention) last Thursday.
She posed the important question, "How do we want to leave our world to our grandchildren?" We watched a profound video titled, "Plastic Soup," a fictious advertisement that highlighted a family making a dinner comprised of soup with plastic pieces to ingest. This gave us a clear, somber idea of ocean wildlife ingesting single use plastics regularly. This commodity of convenience is ruining our ecosystem. If we do not take action and radically reduce the consumption of single use plastics, the consequences will be dire.
Developing nations have also been negatively impacted by single use plastics, causing a tremendous amount of litter on land and on the shores of many communities. This effects access to clean water and omits toxins in the environment that are detrimental to humans and wildlife.
Landfills are now predominately filled with plastic leaving little room for other waste, and plastic exported overseas is wasting valuable resources and use of these plastics are resorting to health issues that we are only beginning to grasp.
Though the realization of the use of single use plastic is dire, there is a glimmer of hope. It begins with educating people on the impact plastics have on our ecosystem. Finding ways to radically reduce the use of plastic will make a difference. Switching from plastic water bottles to a reusable water bottles helps. Instead of purchasing Ziplock bags, use reusable food containers. Barbara brought a basket full of examples of what to use instead of plastic.
Furthermore, a coalition of youth around the world are actively advocating for governmental reform on the production and use of single use plastic. Developing nations are actively refusing plastic to be imported into their countries, and environmental groups around the world are constantly coming up with new ideas to improve this systemic crisis.
Throughout Barbara's presentation, she emphasized that we can do better. How do we do better? Radically reduce the use of single use plastics and continue to educate those around us on how this convenient commodity is harming our bodies and our ecosystem.
For more information on what we can do to make the world a better place for our next generations, please visit Barbara McChesney's blog: https://www.mcsisters.org/making-a-difference
